Administrative Directory - Administrative Judges - Outside NYC

Hon. James C. Tormey

Hon. James C. Tormey, Fifth District Administrative Judge and Justice of the Supreme Court, was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. He was appointed a New York State Supreme Court Justice by Governor George E. Pataki in 1995, and in that same year, was elected by the voters of the Fifth Judicial District to serve a 14-year term. In 2000, Hon. Jonathan Lippman, Chief Administrative Judge, appointed Justice Tormey to serve as Administrative Judge of the Fifth Judicial District.

Justice Tormey received his B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Cortland in 1972 and his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 1976. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1979 and was engaged in the practice of law as well as serving as a member of the Onondaga County Legislature.

He was first elected to the Legislature in 1977 and then re-elected serving a total of five terms or ten years. He was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Legislature’s Health Committee for the majority of his tenure. In 1987, Justice Tormey chose to run for election to the Syracuse City Court bench and served as City Court Judge from 1987 to 1995.

Justice Tormey is a devoted family man and has been actively involved in coaching youth hockey, Little League and lacrosse. He was founder of the Valley Lacrosse League in 1992 and was instrumental in the planning of a new turf lacrosse/football field in the Valley section of the City of Syracuse.

Together with his son Andrew, Justice Tormey founded the Central New York Koi and Water Garden Society in 2002. He serves as lector at Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in Syracuse.

Justice Tormey and his wife, Susan, have two children: Andrew and Colleen. Andrew was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis in 2005, and Colleen attends Christian Brothers Academy.